Friday, December 25, 2009

It’s Christmas! Yippeeeee???

My friends, in the blog entitled, “Taking Inspiration from Hosea Part I” published here on October 25, 2009, the idea was raised that we as a Christian people are following traditions of men at the expense of sound, life-giving Biblical doctrine.

I also wrote that in future messages I would address the traditions that make up the most obvious of our errors.I asked that you, dear reader, would be ready to seriously consider those errors when I presented them.I posed the question, would you know from your own reading and study of the Bible whether what I would share with you would be true or false?

Following the Hosea blog, I was led to address Halloween and it’s satanic roots, and as today marks December 25, 2009 we will appropriately address a tradition found in Christianity that is perhaps even more diabolical than Halloween, primarily because it is shrouded in seemingly Christian religiosity.

It’s Christmas!

Let’s look to a scripture passage in Jeremiah that points out that one of the main traditions practiced during the Christmas season is actually pagan in origin:

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not…” (Jeremiah 10:2…6).

Many of you dear Christian brothers and sisters reading this blog have brought a tree into your house, decorated it with silver and gold (among other things), and are supposedly honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

If December 25th (today) is really His birthday I suppose there could be cause to celebrate it, even though Jesus and the rest of scripture never tells us to do so, but why the tree? What does the tree have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ?(Not to mention pagan beliefs in Santa Claus, flying reindeer, etc., that we need not even mention in this blog.)

Well, the tree has nothing to do with Jesus and is nothing short of a pagan practice that has been around since long before the days of Jeremiah.It has been said that the use of a tree in pagan worship arose from ancient Babylon where a story was told of an evergreen rising out of a dead tree stump which supposedly symbolized the reincarnated Nimrod who is mentioned in Genesis 10 (Babylon Mystery Religion (BMR), Ralph Woodrow, pg. 144 [who cited Curiosities of Popular Customs, William Walsh, pg. 242]).

So the use of trees in pagan worship has long been in play.

But let’s digress from the tree issue for a moment and ask another question that further illustrates why Christmas is not Biblical: does the Bible even tell us the date of Jesus’ birth so that we can know when to celebrate it?

The answer is no.Neither the Gospels nor the rest of scripture shed light on the exact date Jesus was born.But the Bible does give us plenty of information that makes it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that December 25th cannot possibly be the date.

First, the shepherds of Israel weren’t in the habit of going out at night with their sheep to graze after the fall harvest (BMR, pg 141, who cited Clark’s commentary, Vol. 5, pg 370).

Secondly, and perhaps more telling, the Romans surely would not have called for a taxation (Luke 2:1) during late December as that week comprises the shortest days of the year and is also when the weather is colder and less suitable for travel.Too many people needed to return to their hometowns for this event, as did Joseph and Mary, to make that time of year a practical choice.

In addition to these two points that negate a winter birth, there are other Biblical clues that can more positively lead us to a possible season surrounding Jesus’ birth.

Luke shares in his Gospel that Jesus began his ministry at about the age of thirty (Luke 3:23).Since we know with certainty that He died/resurrected in the spring at the time of the Passover we can then calculate from the length of his ministry the approximate season of the year in which He was born.

For those who believe His ministry lasted three years this means He would have also been born at about the time of the Passover.Still others believe that His ministry lasted three and a half years and if this were the case He would have been born around the time of the fall Feasts.

In either view, whether his ministry lasted three or three and a half years, Jesus was definitely not born in December.No Biblical scholarly work that I'm aware of has ever said otherwise.If you know of any (outside the confines of Catholic teachings), feel free to send it to me.

But just how did the honoring of Jesus’ birth in December come about?

Ralph Woodrow wrote a book called Babylon Mystery Religion (which I have already sited twice) in which he argued in chapter 20 (pgs. 141-147) that the December 25th date was taken as Jesus’ birth because the Church at Rome (which became the Catholic Church) wanted to convert to Christ those who observed the pagan winter solstice festivals in which they worshipped their sun god (Sol). Woodrow postulated that the pagans were celebrating (with great drunkenness and debauchery) the fact that the shortest day of the year had passed and that the days would begin to get longer, which for them meant that the strengthening sun would begin to show itself for longer periods each day and that spring would soon return which in turn would allow them to plant crops that could grow and and prosper.

According to BMR, the Church at Rome sought to gain converts from paganism by causing them to honor Christ’s birth instead of the sun-god on this day, December 25th.But here’s the problem with trying to Christianize something pagan: God just doesn’t do that.He is the Creator, not the counterfeiter.Satan counterfeits, and God is not going to sully His own name by taking a demonically inspired practice and trying to Christianize it.Our God is so awesomely creative He has no need whatsoever to do that.

The Jeremiah 10 scripture sited above confirms God’s hatred for all things pagan when He says, “…Learn not the way of the heathen” (Jeremiah 10:2).

Mr. Woodrow has since recanted the view that the December 25th date arose out of paganism (http://www.ralphwoodrow.org/articles/Xmas-Easter-Cross-Mar-07.pdf), saying that there is little historical evidence of such winter solstice observances in Rome during the early history of what became the Catholic Church, but even if his new belief is true we still have clear Biblical evidence of the pagan nature of bringing trees to decorate into our homes as a part of worship as it is described nearly to perfection in the Jeremiah 10 passage sited above.

It is crystal clear that the “heathen” (pagan worshippers) brought trees into their homes and decorated them with silver and gold and that this was an act of idolatry that God specifically commands us “not to learn.” I know most Christians aren't consciously worshipping their trees, but they are certainly using them as a prop for the worship of Christ, a prop that God has forbidden in Jeremiah 10.

As for the choosing of the December 25th date, does it really matter how it was chosen if the date is most certainly NOT true?

Though many still believe they are honoring Christ on Christmas day, they are in fact practicing pagan traditions as if doing so is God approved.This ought not to be done.

(Side note: have you ever wondered why most unbelievers have no problem celebrating Christmas?!Think about it.It’s because Christmas is not truly Christian nor is about Christ.If it were, they would surely detest it.)

Let’s make clear that all Christians who think they are honoring Jesus Christ on this day by saying Christmas is His birthday and singing His praises, in spite of their good intentions, are not honoring the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins.They are honoring A LIE, the lie that Jesus was born on December 25th.

This is no different than when Israel made the golden calf in the desert.When they did so Aaron actually proclaimed the celebration of this new god as a “…feast to the Lord” (Exodus 32:5).They were going off into idolatry and yet still proclaiming it was for God.Did you hear that, Saints? That is exactly what you are doing if you honor Christmas.It is no different.

Let us now return to the matter of lies.I’d like for all of us to quickly recall where lies originate. As I write I am reminded of this scripture,

“When he (the devil) speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).

So if you are honoring this day as the birth of Christ, which again, is a lie, you are honoring the devil.

I know, I know, you’re really upset with me now because you are “for sure and for certain” you are worshipping and honoring Jesus, but let me tell you something, Jesus is “…the way, the TRUTH, and the life…” (John 14:6) and there is no lie in Him.He would not have you honor something that is NOT TRUE.But Satan, who is the father of lies, would love for you to do so.Anyone saying Jesus was born today is doing just that, retelling a lie straight from the devil and therefore honoring him, that is, honoring the devil.

I know, I know, my blog is ruining your fun and you never want to speak to me again.That’s ok, I still love you and pray for your eternal salvation.But seriously, in this regard, if after you receive information that you’re practicing a demonically pagan religious tradition and don’t attempt to find out more about the issue so that you can do something about it, then I don’t really care what you think about me.I’m not going to try to make you happy about doing something I believe is leading you to hell just so you’ll be pals with me. (Did I just say you could go to hell for celebrating Christmas?I’ll address that later, bear with me a little longer.)

Some of you might be wondering, “What if I were to stop celebrating Christmas like Doug, what would my friends think?What would everyone at my Church think?Do I really have to be so vehemently against this day?”

I guess those are the questions that every Christian must answer for him/herself. If you look to the Bible you’ll find that scriptural passages abound showing the uniqueness of the way the people of God live as opposed to that of the world, and even as opposed to that of other (more or less) lukewarm Believers.

As I write, I am reminded of the words of Peter, “…ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light…” (1 Peter 2:9).

This scripture clearly illustrates that we are supposed to be different than others, this is how the light of God shines through us. Do you know what is one of the major points of separation between a true Believer and an unbeliever that actually makes the two different?The Believers desire for truth, to put this “…truth in the inward parts…” (Psalm 51:6).If we are supposed to make the truth that important, how is it that we would speak or follow any untruth such as Christmas?

Jesus underscored the importance of truth when he explained to Pilate that He was indeed a King and that “…for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

How on earth can we be of the truth when we embrace a known falsehood such as Christmas? It makes no sense I tell you.If you are following after Christmas, how is that you’re hearing the entirely true voice of Jesus Christ when the day itself is an absolute untruth?

Let us now continue to think about what it means to be peculiar and among a small number of people participating or not participating in something in order to please the Lord. Consider with me Noah who built the ark that only eight people would be deemed righteous enough to board (Genesis 6-7).

Or what of Lot when he left Sodom (Genesis 19)?His sons-in-law both thought he was “…as one that mocked…” (Genesis 19:14) when he begged them to leave with him before God’s judgment would fall on the city, but his daughter’s husbands refused to follow.

In both cases only these two men and their immediate families escaped judgment.As mentioned above, only eight people (of how many thousands?) escaped the flood during the time of Noah and only four people walked out of Sodom, and even one of them died (Lot’s wife) as she disobeyed and looked back, turning to a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).

How many other cases can be found where only a few people were doing right while everyone else was doing wrong?

Consider during Elijah’s time how there were only seven thousand people in Israel, a nation of hundreds of thousands, who had not bowed the knee to Baal (pagan god) (1 Kings 19:18).Consider also how Elijah stood alone as the prophet of God as he stood up to the 400 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).

For a New Testament perspective on being in the minority in doing right, let’s consider also that Jesus said that “…many be called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16).

With that scripture in mind I can’t help but think that we had better make it a habit of following God’s Word and not follow after the crowd if we expect eternal life.

Following the crowd almost always means following those headed for destruction.This is why Jesus warned, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

I warn each and every reader of this blog that there are consequences for our actions.If you are indeed following the crowd through the wide gate by celebrating the Christmas lie, you are destined to reap a whirlwind if you don’t repent.It’s time to find the narrow way to life that only a few will find.Will you count yourself among the few?The answer to that question depends entirely on your willingness to obey God’s Word for your life.

Let’s move on now to another argument one might hear for honoring Christmas: “But what of the children?What are we going to do for them if they can’t open presents from under the tree?I just want to make them happy and see their happy faces.”

My questions for those folk include: Since when are we supposed to let children run us – the adults?What kind of wisdom has a child amassed in his (or her) few years on earth that we are going to let him cause us to celebrate either Satanic Halloween (so they can get a bag full of teeth-rotting, health destroying candy) or the Satanically-inspired Christmas lie (so they can get some presents and eat yet more health destroying food)?Can’t you rot their teeth out and get them toys any other day of the year? Why do you have to do it on pagan/satanic/demonic “holidays”?

I mean, c’mon people.Think about what those of you who “do it for the kids” are saying.You are justifying paganism to please ignorant, self-willed kids who haven’t been taught the truth.Do you see how you are leading them astray?Do you see how you are leading them straight to hell?(I’m not even addressing those of you who tell your kids there’s a Santa Claus who is “all knowing,” making lists and bringing your children presents.If that isn’t a replacement god, what is? How demonic is that? How hurt should God be, your Provider, that you give the credit to a demon called Santa? And yet some of you Christians even do that.That is a travesty.)

I know, I know, you’re scoffing at “over-the-top Doug”as you read, but God has had it with this phony, “honor Him with your lips but your heart is far from Him” chicanery.He can no longer “wink his eye” at this sort of thing and as was mentioned in the prior Hosea blog, judgment is now beginning with us, with the house of God.

I feel that many of us are about to be "taken out to the wood shed" and severely chastened for this sort of thing and to be shaken of our foolishness (and yet many will still not repent, many will still deny that the negative spiritual and/or natural consequences in their lives have anything to do with Christmas).

But yet I still ask this question, why make your life so hard just for a silly man/demon-made tradition?(Not to mention, why on earth go into debt for something so anti-truth, so anti-Christ?)

For those Christmas celebrators who now have knowledge that it’s all based on a lie (many of you have known for quite some time but have done nothing about it) and yet continue to defiantly honor this pagan day as if it really does have something to do with Jesus Christ, if you begin to find that in the next few days and weeks to follow that you’ve become miserable and in dire straights spiritually as well as in the natural (how much debt did you use to buy all your gifts?), I wonder how many of you will chalk it up to the false god you honored today? May those who do so learn their lesson and repent of this wicked selfishness that does not care one lick how God really feels.

I would be lying if I said that as I write I don’t feel the anger and hurt of the Lord rising up in me.The spiritual malaise that Christmas honoring Christians are exhibiting means they are in a terrible state of spiritual callousness, numbness, and selfishness.

I am telling each reader that no Christian really (I mean REALLY) knows God if he thinks Christmas is about Jesus in any sense, and especially, if after reading this blog, he continues to think so.It’s one thing to have honored Christmas in the past out of ignorance, but once you have knowledge of an issue and still continue doing so without even researching to see what’s up, why then that’s a sure sign of a hard heart against the Lord.

God wants us to know Him far more intimately than we can imagine. But none of us can get to that point if we ignore His Word and continue sinning against Him.

I want to repeat this most sincerely: those of you who still think celebrating Christmas is o.k. actually have no idea who God is nor how much you are hurting Him with your paganism.One could say the reason you don’t know Him is because you are not reading the Bible in its entirety and spending daily time with Him in prayer, but only God and you can know exactly why.

God forbid that any of us should ever honor Christmas again, but I forewarn all who read this, if after reading this blog you continue in this paganism you can be sure that your heart will only harden further and that God will have a continuously more difficult time trying to reach you.Go too much further than this and it will be too late.You’ll be one of those who take the mark when the anti-Christ comes because of your callousness, blindness, and pride.

Let me say it again, if you are celebrating Christmas today and have no problem with doing so, you are in big trouble spiritually.Seek the Lord and ask Him for the truth. Ask Him if Doug’s right about this.Say, “Lord, if Doug is right I’m willing to change.”Even tell Him how crazy you think I am, but still ask.

Then ask Him to search your heart and find out what else is in there that He doesn’t approve of. (Please don’t think I think I’m exempt from soul-searching myself…it’s time for all of us to get it right in every sense.) Repent for and renounce Christmas as well as anything else in your life contrary to God and His Word.

I beg you.

Your eternal salvation is at stake.

Some of you laugh at that statement, thinking Christmas is not a salvation issue, but read this scripture with me:

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…” (Revelation 21:7-8).

Did you see that, idolaters and liars will be found in the lake of fire for eternity!

Believe me when I say that today, Christmas day, is a day of idolatry, of lying, of worship of a false “christ” lyingly said to have been born on December 25th who doesn’t even exist except in the form of a demon.Christmas is a celebration of a false “jesus” who cannot and will not get you eternal salvation.May you discern this and repent before it’s too late.My prayers for you will be that you do.

In the meantime, if you don’t hate me after this blog, shoot me an email sometime and let me know how you’re doing!

Signed, your brother in the true and living Lord Jesus Christ, not the false demonic spirit of Christmas masquerading as Jesus.